Pivot: A Damon Restart Story

Chp 6

2010/2011

Caroline knocks on the door of the Boarding House, tapping her foot impatiently. She had just spoken to Mrs. Lockwood about the Masquerade details and realized she doesn't have a date. Stefan answers the door, "Caroline? What's up?" Caroline clears her throat, "I was wondering if you are going to the Masquerade Ball?" Damon snuck up on the two of them, "We are. But Stefan here," Damon grasped Stefan's shoulders, "Doesn't have a date." Caroline perks up, "Oh?" Damon nudges his brother closer to Caroline. Stefan rubs the back of his neck, "Would you like to go with me?"

Caroline squealed, "Yes!" Then calmed down, "I would love to." Stefan smiled at her; he thought she was adorable. His train of thought was interrupted when Caroline grabbed his hand and dragged him to her car to shop for her dress. Damon chuckled at them as he closed the door. Damon felt like they would have been happy together if Stefan didn't die...On their wedding night. So, if Damon had to push them together on certain occasions, he would.

Damon joined Enzo in the sitting room and poured himself a drink. Enzo broke the silence first, "I'm going to head back out and see if I drag up any information." Damon nodded, "Start in Richmond. There's a cafe that vampires frequent because the windows are UV tempered and double paned. A guy by the name of Slater may be able to help. And I want you to give him this to post on Craigslist."

A folded piece of paper was handed to Enzo. He opened it to read, "It feels like a thousand years since a part of you was lost. That part has been found in the place where it all started." He refolded the paper, "What's this?" Damon set down his glass, "A message to a certain Original Hybrid, or soon-to-be Hybrid. It's time to get this party started." This was all Damon said before he left to ask a certain feisty witch to the Masquerade.

The night of the Masquerade, Stefan and Caroline, Damon and Bonnie step inside the Lockwood mansion. Mrs. Lockwood had to bite her tongue when Damon showed up with the Bennett girl. The group could feel the disapproval coming off the Mayor in waves but decided to ignore it and have a good time. They were walking around the Ball when they saw Elena come in by herself. She wanted to ask either Salvatore brother to take her but found out they already had dates. She scowled at them as she ventured into the room. The girls rolled their eyes in sync. Stefan turned to Caroline, "Dance with me?" Damon did the same, "Shall we?" Both couples spent the night dancing, talking, and just having a good time. In the back of Damon's mind he knew Elena was supposed to get kidnapped. He'll find out tomorrow.

At the end of the night, the two couples had ventured to the Grill for a late night snack then the guys took their dates home. Damon knew by the slight pink tinge to Stefan's cheeks that he had kissed Caroline good night. Then he sighed thinking about what will happen next. Stefan asked, "What?" Damon sat heavily on the sofa with a drink, "Last time Elena got kidnapped to be used as a bargaining chip. Two older vampires that Katherine screwed over wanted to stop running from the Originals. So, they took Elena to hand her over to Elijah. We'll find out tomorrow if she was taken or not. You and I brother were the ones that rescued her last time." Stefan scoffed, "No thank you. I'm going to bed. Night, Damon." Damon smirked, "Night brother."

Sure enough, Stefan had noticed Elena missed school. Damon had gone to the Lockwood's Mansion and noticed Elena's car was still on the property. They just shrugged and went about their day, but before nightfall Damon received a phone call from Enzo, "Slater got a reply about an hour ago with two words...Message received. You're going to have company soon, mate." "Look forward to it," Damon's signature smirk slipped into place.

Elena never ran so hard in her life. She had been kidnapped by two vampires and taken to the middle of nowhere. She noticed the vampires kept away from the rays of sunlight beaming into the abandoned house. She used this to her advantage and jumped through one of the windows that was not covered and ran barefoot. A very expensive, flashy car pulled in front of her and stopped. The driver got out and approached Elena. He could hear her very human heart beating rapidly. The girl was hunched over trying to catch her breath. Elijah realized this is the human Doppelganger he was hearing about, "Miss? Are you alright?"